Our History...

El Campo Livestock Exchange, LLC

Serving The Needs of The South Texas Rancher Since 1939

From the days of the Goodnight-Loving trail, taking cattle to auction for a profit has been a way of life for the Texas Rancher. Today, the trail ends a little closer to home for the Gulf Coast Cattleman thanks to several who have made huge investments in time and money to the El Campo Livestock Auction. In the late 1930’s a Mr. Newton founded the Auction barn. Soon, P.A. Lundy took over the business with passion to create a booming business. While these men were pioneers, the Auction barn was taken to a new level for the cattle industry by the Bode brothers in 1955. Billy and Oscar Bode had a good finger on the pulse of the ranchers needs in the Gulf Coast area. Both had differ rent Cattle auctions going at the same time in the South and South Central regions of Texas. Billy Bode learned the trade of auctioneering and became a constant figure in the sale barn. He and his late wife and four children ran the family business with commitment and desire to meet the needs of the buyers and sellers. Under Bode’s reign some sellers would travel over 250 miles to bring their livestock to auction. In the early 60’s one of the largest Auctions saw 6200 head cattle run through the ring. The sale started on a Tuesday just before noon and lasted to Wednesday at noon. In 2001, the torch was passed as John Banker became owner. He continued to meet his clients’ demands in a constantly changing world. Fuel cost, the price of feed and changing economy are challenges of today’s cattlemen. Mr. Banker provided a strong service and deep desire to maintain the El Campo Livestock Company and Auction Barn for over 21 years. In the fall of 2022, the sale barn is under new ownership and proudly known as El Campo Livestock Exchange LLC. Colt Adams, Tyler Adams and Homer Aparicio III have taken the reins. There is excitement in the air with these young cowboys whose experience to help fellow ranchers in a meaningful way is just simply their way of life. The three of them grew up in the cattle industry in this area and are well known for their ability to provide trustworthy and dependable service to every customer, where a handshake means everything.